This film image released by Disney shows Ralph, voiced by John C. Reilly, left, and Vanellope Von Schweetz, voiced by Sarah Silverman in a scene from 'Wreck-It Ralph.'

Flight■■■ - (R, drug and alcohol abuse, language, sexuality/nudity, an intense action sequence) Denzel Washington is superb as an alcoholic pilot who saves most of the people on board a crashing jet, but must face the consequences of doing so. The story takes a somewhat unsatisfying turn, but Washington is great throughout. Paramount Pictures. 139 minutes. Playing at Destinta 12 New Windsor; Regal Cinemas Galleria 16, Poughkeepsie; Regal Cinemas Fishkill 10; Regal Cinemas Hudson Valley Mall, Kingston; Roosevelt Cinemas, Hyde Park.

The House I Live In - (Not rated) Director Eugene Jarecki examines our misguided, trillion-dollar war on drugs. From the dealer to the grieving mother, the narcotics officer to the senator, the inmate to the federal judge, the film examines how political and economic corruption, and cowardice have fueled the War on Drugs for 40 years, despite persistent evidence of its moral, economic and practical failures. 108 minutes. Playing at Upstate Films, Rhinebeck.

The Man With the Iron Fists - (R, bloody violence, strong sexuality, language, brief drug use) On the hunt for a fabled treasure of gold, a band of warriors, assassins and a rogue British soldier descend upon a village in feudal China, where a humble blacksmith looks to defend himself and his fellow villagers. Starring Russell Crowe, Cung Le and Lucy Liu. Directed by RZA. Universal Pictures. 96 minutes. Playing at Destinta 12 New Windsor; Regal Cinemas Galleria 16, Poughkeepsie; Regal Cinemas Fishkill 10; Regal Cinemas Hudson Valley Mall, Kingston.

Wreck-It Ralph■■■■ (PG, some rude humor and mild action/violence) - Director Rich Moore's film, about a bad guy in a video game (John C. Reilly) who wants to go good, is hilarious, sweet sassy and smart. You'll love it for sure if you ever played a video game in the last 30 years, but you'll probably love it if you haven't, too. With outstanding support from Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch and Sarah Silverman. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. 108 minutes. Playing at Destinta 12 New Windsor; Regal Cinemas Galleria 16, Poughkeepsie; Regal Cinemas Fishkill 10; Regal Cinemas Hudson Valley Mall, Kingston; Lyceum Six, Red Hook; Roosevelt Cinemas, Hyde Park; New Paltz Cinemas.

FAMILY FARE

Brave★ ★ ½ - (PG, some scary action and rude humor) Directors Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman and Steve Purcell haven't reinvented the wheel with their film about a Scottish princess (Kelly Macdonald) whose desire to be free leads to a curse and trouble for the kingdom. There's nothing revolutionary here, but what is here is well done. The animation is stunning. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. 100 minutes. Playing at Silver Cinemas, South Hills Mall, Poughkeepsie.

Chasing Mavericks■◪ - (PG, thematic elements, some perilous action) A greeting card set in motion, this inspirational surfing flick cheeses up the story of real-life surfing phenom Jay Moriarity so thick you could spread it on a cracker. The film never ever comes close to catching a wave, but at least the cast got some righteous surfing lessons out of it. Fox 2000 Pictures and Walden Media. 115 minutes. Starring Jonny Weston, Gerard Butler and Elisabeth Shue. Directed by Michael Apted and Curtis Hanson. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. Playing at Destinta 12 New Windsor.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days★ ★ ½ - (PG, some rude humor) While still not all that great, the third in the series of movies based on the Jeff Kinney books is the best yet. David Bowers returns to direct the story of summer vacation for Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon). Best of all: more screen time for Steve Zahn, as Greg's dad. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. 94 minutes. Playing at Silver Cinemas, South Hills Mall, Poughkeepsie.

Here Comes the Boom★ ★ - (PG, bouts of MMA sports violence, some rude humor, language) Kevin James: mixed martial arts fighter? The slimmed-down funnyman tries to pull it off in his latest comedy. Part root-for-the-underdog sports flick, part inspirational tearjerker and part slapstick comedy, the film is a weird, uninspired mix of genre cliches in which James plays a teacher trying to save his school's music program by getting elbowed in the face for money. It's dumb, but at least it means to be. Columbia Pictures. 105 minutes. Directed by Frank Coraci. Playing at Lyceum Six, Red Hook; Roosevelt Cinemas, Hyde Park.

Hotel Transylvania★ ★ - (PG, some rude humor, action, scary images) Genndy Tartakovsky's animated film about a resort for monsters has a big-name cast, including Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Steve Buscemi and Selena Gomez, but despite a cute premise it doesn't offer much more than that. Dracula (Sandler) tries to prevent a romance between his daughter (Gomez) and a human (Andy Samberg). And that's about it. Sony Pictures Releasing. 91 minutes. Playing at Destinta 12 New Windsor.

ParaNorman - (PG, scary action and images, thematic elements, some rude humor, language) Directors Chris Butler and Sam Fell bring some genuine - yet fun - scares to this story of a boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee) who is ostracized by friends and families because he can see, and converse with, dead people. But when a 300-year-old curse threatens the town, he is the only one who can save them. Focus Features. 93 minutes. Playing at Silver Cinemas, South Hills Mall, Poughkeepsie.

PG-13

Alex Cross★ ½ - (PG-13, violence, sexual content, language, drug references) Tyler Perry is an actor who radiates niceness and decency, but as the title character in "Alex Cross," the role slips out of Perry's grasp. Director Rob Cohen usually has a way with kinetic action sequences, but his heart just doesn't seem to be in this project. Also starring Matthew Fox, Edward Burns, Carmen Ejogo, Jean Reno and Cicely Tyson. Summit Entertainment. 101 minutes. Playing at Destinta 12 New Windsor.

The Dark Knight Rises★ ★ (PG-13, intense sequences of violence and action, some sensuality, language) Christopher Nolan concludes his Batman trilogy in typically spectacular, ambitious fashion, but the feeling of frustration and disappointment is unshakable in this film. "The Dark Knight Rises" is plot-heavy, obsessed with process, laden with expository dialogue and flashbacks that bog down the momentum and is just flat-out boring at times. Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne suffers in self-imposed exile, sulking about Wayne Manor, mourning the loss of his darling Rachel and carrying the burden of blame for the death of District Attorney Harvey Dent. Anne Hathaway brings some much needed zest to the proceedings as Selina Kyle, otherwise known as Catwoman in the Batman universe. Also featuring Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Marion Cotillard. Warner Bros. 164 minutes. Playing at Silver Cinemas, South Hills Mall, Poughkeepsie.

Hope Springs■■■ - (PG-13, mature thematic content involving sexuality) Tommy Lee Jones and Meryl Streep are outstanding as a couple stalled in an intimacy-free marriage, who seek help (reluctant on his part) from a therapist (Steve Carell). Nothing really new here, but the acting is so good it gives director David Frankel's film a fresh feel. Very enjoyable. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. 100 minutes. Playing at Silver Cinemas, South Hills Mall, Poughkeepsie.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - (PG-13, on appeal for mature thematic material, drug and alcohol use, sexual content including references, and a fight - all involving teens) An introvert freshman is taken under the wings of two seniors who welcome him to the real world. Starring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson and Ezra Miller. Directed by Stephen Chbosky. 103 minutes. Playing at Downing Film Center, Newburgh.

The Possession - ★ ★ ½ (PG-13, mature thematic material involving violence and disturbing sequences) Ole Bornedal's film, in which a young girl (Natasha Calis) becomes possessed by a spirit in a box, is creepy to a point, but once the real horror kicks in, it's by-the-numbers stuff. Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Kyra Sedgwick are good as newly separated parents. Middle-of-the-road horror fare. Lionsgate. 92 minutes. Playing at Silver Cinemas, South Hills Mall, Poughkeepsie.

Searching for Sugarman - (PG-13, brief strong language, some drug references) Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock 'n' roller, Rodriguez. Directed by Malik Bendjelloul. Playing at Moviehouse, Millerton; Upstate Films, Rhinebeck.

Argo★ ★ ★ ★ - (R, language and some violent images) Ben Affleck directs and stars in a terrific movie about six Americans who escape the U.S. embassy before Iranian militants took 52 people hostage there in 1979 and hide out in the Canadian embassy. The plan to get them out: Pretend they are a movie crew scouting locations in Iran. It's funny, thrilling and gets at the confusion Americans felt - and still feel - at dealing with Muslim rage. A gem. Warner Bros. Pictures. 120 minutes. Playing at Destinta 12 New Windsor; Regal Cinemas Galleria 16, Poughkeepsie; Regal Cinemas Fishkill 10; Regal Cinemas Hudson Valley Mall, Kingston; Lyceum Six, Red Hook; Roosevelt Cinemas, Hyde Park; New Paltz Cinemas; Moviehouse, Millerton.

The Campaign ■■ - (R, crude sexual content, language, brief nudity) Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis are amusingly on point as a pair of mud-slinging contenders for Congress, the platform is a wobbly political satire that flip-flops chaotically between clever and crass, never finding a sturdy comedic footing. Directed by Jay Roach. Warner Bros. 85 minutes. Playing at Silver Cinemas, South Hills Mall, Poughkeepsie.

Dredd★ ★ ½ -(R, strong violence, language, drug use and sexual content) This fast-paced action yarn set in a grim future world involves two lawmakers squaring off against a vicious drug lord. It's initially engaging, but the relentless action and violence starts to blend together about three-quarters of the way in, and a viewer simply longs for things to wrap up. Directed by Pete Travis. Starring Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey. Lionsgate. 95 minutes. Playing at Silver Cinemas, South Hills Mall, Poughkeepsie.

The Expendables 2 - (R, strong bloody violence throughout) Mr. Church reunites the Expendables for what should be an easy paycheck, but when one of their men is murdered on the job, their quest for revenge puts them deep in enemy territory and up against an unexpected threat. Starring Sylvester Stallone, Liam Hemsworth and Randy Couture. Directed by Simon West. Lionsgate. 102 minutes. Playing at Silver Cinemas, South Hills Mall, Poughkeepsie.

Farewell My Queen - (R, brief graphic nudity, language) A look at the relationship between Marie Antoinette and one of her readers during the first days of the French Revolution. Starring Diane Kruger, Léa Seydoux and Virginie Ledoyen. Directed by Benoît Jacquot. Cohen Media Group. 100 minutes. Playing at Moviehouse, Millerton.

The Intouchables■■■ - (R, language, some drug use) In French with English subtitles. After he becomes a quadriplegic from a paragliding accident, an aristocrat hires a young man from the projects to be his caretaker. It could have been painfully mawkish, but writers and directors Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano upend expectations by infusing the comedy with a subversive, playful tone throughout, with some totally inappropriate humor and even some surprises. Starring Omar Sy, Francois Cluzet and Anne Le Ny. Weinstein Co. 112 minutes. Playing at Upstate Films Tinker Street Cinema, Woodstock.

Paranormal Activity 4 - (R, language, some violence/terror) It has been five years since the disappearance of Katie and Hunter, and a suburban family witnesses strange events in their neighborhood when a woman and a mysterious child move in. Starring Katie Featherston, Kathryn Newton and Matt Shively. Directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman. Playing at Destinta 12 New Windsor; Regal Cinemas Galleria 16, Poughkeepsie; Regal Cinemas Fishkill 10; Regal Cinemas Hudson Valley Mall, Kingston; Lyceum Six, Red Hook; Roosevelt Cinemas, Hyde Park; New Paltz Cinema.

Silent Hill: Revelation 3D - (R, violence and disturbing images, some language, brief nudity) When her father disappears, Heather Mason is drawn into a strange and terrifying alternate reality that holds answers to the horrific nightmares that have plagued her since childhood. Starring Sean Bean, Radha Mitchell and Carrie-Anne Moss. Directed by Michael J. Bassett. 94 minutes. Open Road Films. Playing at Destinta 12 New Windsor; Roosevelt Cinemas, Hyde Park.

Sinister - ★ ★ ★ (R, disturbing violent images, some terror) Ethan Hawke is quite good as a true-crime novelist who gets a little too deep into researching his latest book in director and co-writer Scott Derrickson's horror film, which doesn't skimp on the scares. Summit Entertainment. 110 minutes. Playing at Destinta 12 New Windsor.

Ted★ ★ ★ - (R, crude and sexual content, pervasive language, some drug use) "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane confidently makes his feature directing debut with "Ted," about a teddy bear who smokes pot, parties with hookers, beds pop stars and spews profanity in a New England accent as thick as chowdah. Mark Wahlberg stars as John, whose wish upon a star as a lonely kid in the '80s turned his Christmas-morning teddy bear into a walking, talking friend for life. Decades later, the two are still best buddies living together in Boston, although they're both understandably a tad stunted. Universal Pictures. 105 minutes. Playing at Silver Cinemas, South Hills Mall, Poughkeepsie.

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Film guide

NEW THIS WEEK Flight ? (R, drug and alcohol abuse, language, sexuality/nudity, an intense action sequence) Denzel Washington is superb as an alcoholic pilot who saves most of the people on board a